Tessa Jane always brings colour and passion to her work. You will find her beautiful West Devon studio open every day until 25 September at Wychwood, Green Lane, Yelverton.
Visiting Tessa in her caravan studio, you get a good idea of how prolific she has been during her isolation. Works in progress are everywhere – on the worktable in the middle of the studio or hung up to dry. And nothing here goes to waste – over in her ‘Treasures Corner’ there are all sorts of items being repurposed for her art, from discarded wren’s nests, bird feathers and leaves to salvaged plastic: “I recycle and re-use everything,” said Tessa, “sustainability is probably my USP.” These found items are used with conventional materials, which Tessa stores in her “Potential Jewels” box at the other end of the studio.
Her favourite place to work is right next to the caravan’s main window, where the light streams in and where she can see and hear the nature outside. Today, she is working on her very own golden cage, a Tansy Hargan-inspired wooden-framed piece with 90 squares which she is filling with small pieces of her intricate textile art. Other works in progress are multi-layered pieces which show Tessa’s semi-abstract interpretations of her garden and views, and there’s also a piece with printed feathers encased in recycled plastic, reflecting the journeys and fears we all face and the fragility of life.
Take the turning off A386 near Yelverton roundabout. The brown information sign for The Garden House with a cattlegrid. Take second left, second cattle grid for Green Lane. Wychwood is 700 yards on the right with a blue gate.
